Shares definitions of words from many languages that describe very specific phenomena, including the sunlight that filters through the leaves of trees, the urge to look into other people's windows, and flirtatious talk that leads nowhere.

Sparkling with insight and linguistic curiosity, this delightful compendium answers 101 of the most intriguing questions about the English language, from word origins and spelling to grammar and usage. Irresistible to anyone with an interest in the words around them.

"Guy Deutscher is that rare beast, an academic who talks good sense about linguistics... Observer*Does language reflect the culture of a society? A delightful amalgam of cultural history and popular science, this book explores some of the most fascinating and controversial questions about language, culture and the human mind.

Features a survey of everything from how sounds become speech to how names work. This work also talks about eyebrow flashes, whistling languages, how parents teach their children to speak, how politeness travels across languages and how the way we talk show not just how old we are but where we're from and even who we want to be.

How on earth did 'with bells on' come to express enthusiasm? And what do chips on shoulders have to do with inferiority complexes? Spilling the Beans on the Cat's Pyjamas provides us with the meanings of these well-worn and much-loved phrases by putting these linguistic quirks in context, and explaining how and why they were first used.

New full colour edition of this bestselling beginners' classroom text now including video and an interactive e-book with each print copy. Foundation Languages courses are tailor-made for IWLPs in the HE sector, with lively exercises, integrated pair- and groupwork and a self-study section. The course fits neatly into the 20-24 week teaching year.

Featuring Latinate and Celtic words, weasel words and nonce-words, ancient word ('loaf') to advanced ('twittersphere') and spanning the indispensable words that shape our tongue ('and', 'what') to the more fanciful ('fopdoodle'), the author takes us along the winding byways of language via the rude, the obscure and the downright surprising.

How do we really make ourselves understood to other people? This book shows how, from puns to poetry, news bulletins to the Bible, Asterix to Swedish films, translation is at the heart of everything we do - and makes us who we are.

New full colour edition of this bestselling beginners' classroom text now including video and an interactive e-book with each print copy. Foundation Languages courses are tailor-made for IWLPs in the HE sector, with lively exercises, integrated pair- and groupwork and a self-study section. The course fits neatly into the 20-24 week teaching year.

Why is there an 'h' in ghost? William Caxton, inventor of the printing press and his Flemish employees are to blame: without a dictionary or style guide to hand in fifteenth century Bruges, the typesetters simply spelled it the way it sounded to their foreign cars, and it stuck. This book takes you on a journey through English spelling.

This Bestselling textbook introduces undergraduates to the concepts, terminology and representations needed for an understanding of how English is pronounced around the world. Assuming no prior knowledge, it guides the reader through the vocal tract and explains how the sounds of speech are made.

This handy guide takes students through the complete process from what to do before they begin, to using feedback constructively for their next essay. Clearly and well-presented, it includes lively illustrations and now a new chapter on being critical in your essays.

"Language, Society and Power is an introductory text to studying language in a variety of social contexts. It examines the ways in which language functions, how it influences thought and how it varies according to age, ethnicity, class and gender. This fourth edition has been completely revised to include recent developments in theory and research, and offers new chapters on Linguistic Landscapes...

Nothing inflames language purists like an illogical irregardless or a hideous otherization. To a purist these are "howlers" and "non-words," fit only for scorn. But in their rush to condemn such terms, are the nay-sayers missing something? This provocative and hugely entertaining book shows how the diktats of the pedants are repeatedly based on misinformation, false reasoning and straight-up...

Takes you through various words you need to survive, shows how and why they work, and steers you past various pitfalls and potential embarrassments of speaking French in France. This title covers various areas of everyday life from eating and drinking to travel, work and, crucially, and, swearing and sounding like a teenager.